Deflection tensiometer



April 2, 1957 F. B; TAMMr-:N 2,787,159

DEFLECTION TENSIOMETER Filed Jan. s, 1955 lNVENTOR Fred B. Tammen BY I ATTORNEYS United States Patent'O M DEFLECTION TENSIOMETER Fred B. Tammen, Bettendorf, Iowa, assgnor to Bettendorf Bakeiy Equipment Company, Bettendorf, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application January 3, 1955, Serial No. 47 9,563

4 Claims. (Cl. 73-144) This invention relates to a tensiome-ter suitable for use in `determining the tension on the individual slicer blades in a bread slicing machine.

The device of the present invention is a hand instrument that can -readily be applied successively to exposed portions ot the slicer blades in a bread slicing machine to determine the tension on the individual blades.

The device of the present invention has a frame which can conveniently be made in the form of a hat plate that has parts adjacent its bottom edge that are adapted to straddle any one of the closely spaced blades in a bread slicing machine and to enter the spaces between any such blade and adjacent blades.

One of the blade engaging parts has blade engaging members that contact one face of the blade adjacent opposite ends of the bottom edge of the frame, and the other engaging part is in the form of a spring actuated lever that applies pressure to the opposite side of the blade between the spaced blade engaging members. The spring actuating means is adjustable to provide the desired pressure on the bla-de, and the pressure applying lever is connected to a pointer that moves over a dial on the instrument frame that is in a plane parallel to the blade. The movement of the pointer is proportionate to the deilection of the blade ldue to Vthe pressure applied by the lever and serves to indicate the tension on the blade. By thus testing the tension on the individual blades, adjustment of the blade supports to apply uniform tension to the blade is facilitated. i

The invention has for its object to provide an instrument of light weight which is of simple construction and relatively inexpensive and which can be quickly and easily applied toan individual blade in a bread slicing machine to ascertain the tensions to which the blade is subjected.

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a tensiometer embodying the invention; j

Fig. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale taken as indicated by the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale taken as indicated by the line 3-3 in Fig. l; and

`Fig. 4 is a section on an enlarged scale rtaken as indicate-d by the line t4-4 in Fig. l'. i

The `device of the present invention is an instrument of a size such that it can be readily carried in one hand and applied to the exposed portions of the exible slicer blades of a bread slicing machine. The instrument of the present invention has a supporting frame which may be in the form of a liat plate 1 that has an elongated bottom edge 2 and an upright extension 3, that is narrower than the bottom portion of the plate to provide a convenient hand grip, and that is ydisposed at an acute angle to the bottom edge 2. The plate 1 may be in the form of a casting and provided with a marginal flange 4 which extends throughout the margin of the plate except at the bottom edge thereof. At opposite ends of the bottom edge the plate has integral positioning members 5 that may be enlargements of the marginal flange 4 and that are provided with blade engaging edge faces 6 disposed in a plane parallel to the plate 1.

A pair of spaced bearing brackets 7 are attached to the front face of the plate 1 by means of screws 8, and these brackets receive between them a lever 9 that is disposed in a plane at right angles to the bottom 2 and substantially midway between the positioning members 5. A transverse pivot pin 10 extends through the lever 9 and is rigidly attached thereto, the ends of the pin being journaled in the brackets 7, and ball bearings 11 being interposed between the pivot pin 10 and the bearing brackets 7. rThe leve-r 9 has a `downwardly extending blade engaging arm 12 that has a curved blade engagingl face 13 for applying pressure to the front face of a Slicer blade positioned against the faces 6 of the positioning members S. The lever 9 also has an upwardly extending i actua-ting arm 1d that is provided with an inclined cam face 1S at its upper end.` The cam face 15 of the lever engages with a roller 16 that is rotatably supported on an arm 17 extending laterally from a swingable member 18 rotatably mounted on a ixed pivot 19 having its axis disposed perpendicular to 'the plate 1 a short distance to one side of the plane of movement of the lever arm 14. An anti-friction ball bearing 20 is interposed between the member 18 and the pivot pin 19. The pivot pin 19 has a head 21 at its outer end that retains the member 18, and the inner end ot the pin .19 is detachably secured in a boss 22 formed integrally with the plate 1 by means of a set screw 23. A light spring 24 attached at its upper end to the outer end of the arm 17 and at its lower end to one of the bearing brackets 7 serves to hold the roller 1a in engagement with the cam face 15 of the actuating lever. A pointer 25 is attached to the swing-able member 1d and extends upwardly therefrom, the upper end of the pointer overlying an arcuate graduated `dial 26 that is carried by the upright extension 3 of the supporting plate 1.

Means are provided for applying an outward thrust to the actuating arm 14 of the lever 9 which causes the blade engaging arm 12 to press inwardly against the front face of a band blade extending across the space between ythe positioning members 5. As herein shown, pressure is applied to the lever 9 by means of a plunger 27 that engages the rear face of the lever 9 above the pivot 10 and that is actuated by a compression spring 28 mounted in a screw threaded barrel 29, the barrel 29 being in turn screwed into a boss 3d formed integrally with the plate 1. The barrel 29 and plunger 27 are preferably disposed perpendicular to the plate 1, and the plunger 27 is slidably mounted in a screw plug 31 in the forward end of the barrel 29. The spring 28 is interposed between the plunger 27 and an adjustable plug 32 screwed into the rear end of the barrel 29. By adjusting the plug 32 the tension of the spring 28 may be varied to apply the desired pressure to the lever 9.

The upper end of the lever 9 may be provided with a knob 33 that can be conveniently engaged by the thumb of thefhand gripping the' supporting plate 1 to press the upper end of the lever toward the plate and move the blade engaging arm 12 outwardly away from the plate to permit the Slicer blade to be straddled by the driver arm 12 and the blade positioning members 5. Upon release of the thumbpiece 33 the blade engaging arm 12 will be moved into engagement with the outer face of the blade straddled by the instrument, and pressure applied to the blade by the arm 12 will cause the blade to be deflected toward the face of the plate 1. The amount of deflection of the blade is a function of the blade tension and becomes greater as the tension on the blade is lessened so that the amount of deflection imparted to the blade by the actuating lever indicates the tension to which the blade Patented Apr. 2, 1957l message is subjected. The movement transmitted to the pointer by the actuating lever is proportional to the amount of deflection of the blade, and the dial 26 may be calibrated tolindicate .tension on the blade;

Bykrapplyingthe ,tensiometer to the individual blades 1in a bread slicing machine, any inequalities in tension become readily apparent, and the-.adjustment of the blade supports necessary. to apply uniform tension is thereby facilitated.A

It islto be understoodv that in accordance with the provisions ofthe patent statutes, variations and modications ofthe specicdevices yherein shown and described may` bemadelwithout departing from the spirit of the inven- D..

What I claim is:

l; Atensiomet'er for measuringA the tension of a at Xibleblade comprising a plate having positioning mein.- bers projecting from `its front face adjacent opposite ends of itsbottorn edge and having edge faces substantially parallel. to. said plate for engagement with-one face of a blade,y allever-mounted on said plateto swing about an axissubstantially parallel tosaifd plate, said lever having adownwardly extending arm engageablewith the oppositelface of a blade engaging saidpositioning members and having an upwardly extending arm provided with a cam face at itsupper end, a .pivot pin carried by said,V

plate vandlprojecting from its front face llaterally of the upper end of vsaid lever, a. swingable member mounted toturn onsaidv pivot and having a laterally extending arm vengaging. said.. cam face, a Idial carried byv said plate above said pivot pin, anda pointer attached to said swingable memberand movable over sai'ddial.

2.A A tensiometer for measuringthe tension in a flat arm of 'said lever and one blade engaging face oneach' saidpositioning means, and .there being three, such, blade engaging, faces. which.` are disposed in planes that. are

substantially parallel to said. plate side'face, two-` of said' bladeengaging facesnbeingspaced apart in; a: direction parallelto said axis and facing in one ,directionzand beingfixed relatlveto., each other for engaging; onegsid'eL-of av bladextendingparallel `to said: plate sideA face, andthe third. of said blade .engaging 4faces facing i substantially in the opposite. direction for engaging .the opposite/side 'ofv said'blade-at a pointbetween the points; of contact of said two relatively tixecl blade-engaging surfaces, spring means :acting betweensai'd plate'and saidllever to urge saidftworelatively.fixed blade-engaging surfaces against onesideofsaid blade and saidthird bladeengagingf surface against the .oppositeside thereof, andjndicator means operatlvely, connected to said lever., for indicating the amount offdeilection of ablade so engaged by said blade f engaging faces, said indicator means comprising a cam surface on said lever, an indicator needle. pivotally mounted'onan axis normal to. said plate sidelface for swinging vmovement over said plate sidetac-e', and: acam 4.. engagingdsaid cam surface and operatively4 connected to said needle for swinging the same in response to pivotal movement of said lever.

3. A rtensiometer for measuring the tension of a flat iiexiblle blade, comprising a frame plate having spaced positioning members projectingvoutwardly from one side face of the plate, said positioning members having bladeengaging faces lyingin"v a commonl plane. substantially parallel to said plate side face for engaging one side lace of a bladega leverdisposed;outwardly1fromV saidplate side face and pivotallly mounted'on said' plate to swing about an axis substantially parallel 'to said plane, an arm of said, lever..v beingfswingable .between said. positioning members along a path normal to andcutting across the common plane of the blade engaging faces thereof, spring means for urging said arm of said lever against the opposite side face of a blade engaged on one side face by the blade engagingfaces of'. said positioning members, and

indicator, meansfoperat-ively connected .tolsaid lever for.

indicating the amount of deflection of afr blade between said positioning members ,whenso vengaged by said lever arm and positioning members,.saidindicator means. comprisingaacam-surface-on. said lever, anfindicator needle pivotally mountedaonaanxaxis; normal to: saidplateside face. fori swinging `movement over. saidplatei side face,

and' a cam;engaging said cam surfaceand operatively.

connectedftofsaidneedle. forfswinging the same in responseto pivotal movementof said lever.

4. A tensiometer for measuring the tension of a flat flexible blade, comprising a frame platehaving. spaced positioning members projecting outwardly from one side face of the plate, said positioning members having bladeengaging` faces-directed away from saidplate. side face and lying in acommon plane substantiallyV parallel thereto fori engaging one side face of ,a;blade, a. lever disposed outwardly-from saidfplate sidefaoeand:pivotally mounted onsaid plate. toswingvabout an axissubstantia-lly parallel tosaidplane, anl arm .oflsaid lever being/swingable between, said, positioning A members .along `azpath normal to andlcutting across` thefcommon plane oftheblade engaging.` faces whereof,,spring1 means, for: urging said` arm of said leverinathe direction of said; plate. and. against the oppositeside face-.of abladeyengaged onione side face by the blade engaginglffaceszof said positioningr'members, and indicatormeans operatively connected to said lever for indicating the amount of deflection. of aiblade between said .positioning-,members ,whenaso engaged by said lever arm. and piositioninggmembers, saidiindicator means` com,-

prising acam.surface on ,said lever, andiindicator4 needlev pivotally .mounted ,ont an f axis,- normal .to said plateY sideface for swingingmovement over said'plateside face, and a camengaging said cam surface and operatively connected to said needle for swinginglthezsamefin response to pivotal .movement Aof-,saidz lever,

References .Citedvinuthe lefof this patent UNITED STATES- PllrlEN'lfSy 1,65`6j2`62 Batchelder Jam 17, 1928 1,722,036 Byl lly-23', 1929 2,285,471 Stirgessk June 9, 1942 2,591,724 Saxl Apr. 8, 1952 

